From Now On, Showtime! (2022)

A Must See Masterpiece!

With all that happen in the world right now, I really need an escape from reality pill. This show gave me just that. What a joy! I never get this excited about a show since forever. Crazy-comedy, romance, historical, supernatural, crime solving and magic show; all gel and blended well to an amazing show. Full of treats. It's crazy to think how on earth can this writer pull so many genres that ever existed in kdrama land and put it in one show. I'm up for it. Bring it on.

I may not an expert on evaluate things, what I do is just sharing my experience as a normal viewer. I feel bad and pity for those who feel otherwise; who is so stuck to their preferences; their 'standard' perhaps way high-up-over-the-cloud above mine (though I'm not that easy to be pleased either). I gave my review in respect of what the writer/ director/ casts/ production crew had done in making the show a success and wouldn't want their hardwork to not be given a chance or to be left unnoticed.

STORY/ PLOT/ CLICHE
A work of genius in my opinion. It's a familiar story with recycled plots and cliches, BUT as I continue on, I lost track of time. Each new episode will trump the previous ones, although some can be a bit predictable, but I still enjoy all of it. It keep surprises me to the point that I didn't even bother to skip/ fastforward/ predict of what next to come (believe me coz I'm an impatient type and FF button is my BFF). But not for this show. I just let the story takes me. It is undeniably refreshing and full of fun, crazy, thrilling, scary, mystical, fluttering, cringy, sad and sense of fulfillment moments. It succesfully tackles the theme of a feel-good joyride. The writer/ director excel in drawing me in, bring me to this familiar setting yet somehow is uniquely different; so yes, all I need to do is just sit back, relax and enjoy the show. No need to over-analyzed-of-nitpicking-every-single-thing. No need to dive in and dissect each details. Just have fun and experience it all as face value; laugh if it's funny, close your eyes if it's scary, shake your head if you're in disbelief, scream if you get angry or cringy, and cry if it's too sad. Yes, call me a big fool for loving every bit of it.

In a nutshell, it's about an unordinary man's journey of discovery about himself, his true love, family, friends and foes, in the most unconventional way. With so many genres that came into play, it's a neverending fun but interestingly light. His unexpected journey unravels in many ways, with twists and turns; Ups and downs; Intertwind wayback from his past life to his present-self. It also takes us to one event after another and another, that transpire into many unimaginable yet satisfying outcomes. That is to cherish the ones you love unconditionally, hold them tight and be grateful for what you have. Yes, it's a recycled life-altering lessons but told in a magnificent or perhaps in the most absurd way. Hehe I love every seconds of it.

CASTING
Overall casts are just amazing (including guests and extras) and their chemistry are great. Hands down; it's one of the best ever ensemble in a kdrama could ask for.

Park Hae-jin as Cha-woong/Poong-baek
What a performance! Or should I say two coz his portrayals of the two characters are excellent. Both really differ from one another in incredible ways. PB has this calm-reserved persona whilst CW is more of eccentric-confident one. And when the two combined, CW is upgraded into this charming-beyond-help being. He is killing it. The show won't be the same without him. Call me bias, but I don't care coz its the truth >__< hehe.

Jin Ki-joo as Seul-hae/ Chun-hwa
She is wonderful in her both portrayals. Although it may not seem much of a difference but it sufficient enough to deliver me a graciously lovely princess aura and a vivaciously passionate police officer vibes. She really shines in both times.

Jung Joon-ho as Bodyguard/General/Adviser Choi
He is lovable and annoying at the same time. His portrayal is convincing as someone that has seen it all. He seems animated and childlike as much as he was being adamantly serious, particularly in fangirling >__< hehe

The Ghost Squad
All 3 carried different traits of an employee. Chief Nam (Jung Sook-yoon) as the ever-want-to-please-the-boss one; Director Ma (Go Gyu-pil) as the rebel-but-still-have-to-obey one; and A-reum (Park Seo-yeon) as the smart-yet clueless-that-can-be-manipulated one. With all 3 traits combined you get explosive results. The dynamic is an endless chaos as the energy of each characters are delivered differently. It's brilliant.

The supporting casts also really did a marvellous job, from the villains, police squad, SH besties to Granny Ok; BUT Ye-ji (Jang Ha-eun) girl, you surprised me the most.

OST/ MUSICAL SCORE
I love all of it. It started with a wacky-funky-electric vibes of FREAK SHOW. Then fuelled with 2 slow ballads of I'LL BE THERE and TIME. Then a funky song of EHERADIYA and followed by a powerful yet beautiful ballad of FALLIN'. And lastly with 2 sweet melody of YOU YOU YOU and DANDELION SEEDS. I LOVE the latter song so much I could hum it all day. The musical score was done beautifully in every scenes whether if its tragic, dramatic, romantic or comedic. I really love it all especially the percussions.

Kudos to the writer of MPUB and also the director of SWDBS. It's a HUGE improvement from their previous work in my book. I will be enjoying this drama for so many times. So thank you.

WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD. I strongly suggest you read this after you have completed the show. Anyway...

MAGIC FACTORY CREW :
I LOVE them. Chief Nam, Director Ma, A-reum and Adviser Choi are just awesome. It cracks me up whenever they get irked by CW or when they get to roast him over. Even better when the dynamics are being shifted/switched here and there, left and right. It's just chaos. The ad-libs feel real and are all over the place. How they reacted to their ever-changing-charismatic-over-demanding boss is brilliantly executed. Their relationship really hits home; Like a real family. And with SH in the picture, the ensemble is complete. What a gang of chaos! My favourite moment is when the 3 ghosts save CW from SH arrest. I kept a mental picture of how stoic Chief Nam's face is; How he selflessly flew by infront of CW; and A-reum's quick and powerful vacuum moment. There are so many more to name a few.

OTP ROMANCE/ CHA-SEUL :
Cha-seul romance is a pretty classic OTP trope. They annoyed and push each other's button, as much as they are subconsciously care and curious about each other. When CW was forced to expose his ultimate secret to SH, they were bind into this mutual trust. Hence we can see how naturally SH clung onto CW whenever she got spook by the ghost's presence. Their constant bickerings are delightful and with the resolution of their big misunderstanding somehow catapult their unconventional trust into a mutual affection. Yes, they both have different views and values; but when they found their common ground, sparks fly everywhere. This kind of romance speaks more than the usually fast-shallow-cheesy ones; It involved character's growth and how these two strong-independent individuals discover that first impression doesn't always right and to love someone purely for who they are, not for what they have.

I do concern with SH a bit since she has Hee-soo, her longtime-childhood-crush. On impulse she strongly denies her attraction to CW and seems clueless at times, but when she can't reciprocate to HS's bold-but-too-late confession, I'm convinced. Her discovery about her feelings for HS; and how it actually resonates differently from her feelings for CW, was the turning point! And she never look back. Although she didn't fully have her past memory unlike CW, she truly loves him wholeheartedly. Her definition of love is what really captivated CW in the end.

As for CW, having those past memory really solidify his existing love for SH, BUT deep down he is shackled by guilt. And with danger looms ahead of them, his remorse of his failure to protect the ones that he loved before, wrapped him in this selfless mode, causing him to think that he is the root of everything (it's true though as the evil spirit was from PB's doing) and that SH shouldn't suffer anymore in this lifetime and would be better without him. It's a classic noble-idiot trope however, it's understandable. Only with the unforeseen-out-of this-world encounter in the end that finally set him free. It made him realized that she loves him nonetheless. Knowing that she still make that same hard choice, he finally let go of his guilt and do what he was meant to do. To just love her. To trust her. This is how/ what a classy noble-idiot should be written. Everybody, take note y'all.

And I got to say, the cringy-over-the-top-cute-but-please-stop-or-I-slap-you CW moments are super hillarious, and there are a lot of them (Idk how PHJ managed to pull it off. The cast and crew must've been hectic). There are so many Cha-seul moments but if I have to choose; It is when he confesses. It's not done in a slow-passionate way (opposite PB), but it is a lot sweeter, cuter, smoother and at ease with comforting and subtle fluttering vibes; kinda like your first love. It gives me butterfly everytime I hear that DANDELION SEEDS song in the background.

HISTORICAL/ PAST LIVES MEMORY
I'm so sick and tired of this blatant-stupid claim that this historical plot as being unnecessary-no-good-need-to-be-omitted. Grrr. I strongly disagree. Why? Because it's the core/ root for the whole story. This is where it all started, and it was done beautifully (not draggy at all). For it to be taken out, it completely ruin the final outcome (Do they really watch the show or not? Sorry for ranting, need to let it out coz the amount of 'intellect' baffles me).

Princess Chun-hwa and Chief Priest Poong-baek were just dream-like-angelic duo; a blessing from the heavens for their kingdom. Both were pure, kind, lovely and beautiful souls thus making their tragic love story heartreaking. From PB's denial/ hidden feelings to his falter/ confession; from the big betrayal to their narrow escape; from their swift defiance to their fateful demise. What a ride.

That cave-confession sequence is forever imprint as one of the most beautiful love revelations ever, its like a poem; but my most favourite part is when PB faced off with the villains. Although it was short, the cinematic value of that fight sequence is uber satisfying, especially the part where PB grabbed the villain by the neck and lifted him up in the air. It is so damn-satisfying and freakingly-awesome (so good that you wish for more). Everything then tied smoothly from the past to the present; with CW waking up to a clueless but grateful SH, followed by an abrupt yet subtle eruption of mix emotional weep (I cried too coz PHJ is soooo good).

GENERAL/ ADVISER CHOI
He is unexpectedly a thorn in the roses. I do love him at first but his true self was hidden behind a virtuous mask. His drive to achieve nirvana although its understandable, speaks in variable to me, particularly over his reactions after CW becomes aware of his sin. The little hints dropped by CW, the exchanged stare at the dinner table, their tensions that build up to their inevitable-confrontation; All are well executed to further deepen his guilt (and at the same time making him intolerable). The lines, although felt familiar really hits hard (I found myself saying those very lines with CW haha). And for Adviser Choi to just knelt down, break into tears of regret, begging for forgiveness, and to finally bare himself and own up to his cowardness, is really disheartening. It's raw. The very nature of what human is. I can understand why he did what he did. Of course I hated it and some may find it a bit insincere; but it is what it is. Adviser Choi was like any normal being, not perfect, forgetful, make mistakes and afraid to be left alone. I think the end result for him to be sent down again to retribute himself is pretty irony and satisfactory; No bad deed go unpunish.

EVIL SPIRIT/FULL MOON MURDERER/HS :
The evil spirit, Haechun-moo is written off as this one dimensional villain; Evil beyond redemption. I think it was done intentionally to amplify the eeriness of a good villain. Not great, but enough to make us despise him (and we don't have to feel bad about it). HCM was a ruthless-black-sheep prince from the powerful neighbouring kingdom. His thirst of being accepted somehow corrupted into this huge greed of unsatisfied quest of self-fulfillment, but nothing could ever fill that void. That hunger further magnified when Princess CH strongly rejected him. He is a classic narcisstic; Always blame everyone else but himself. Eventually he was punished by PB and become the evil spirit, the vital nemesis for CW/ Adviser Choi.

As for Full Moon Murderer, although Tae-chun was indeed a bad person, I think he is incapable of killings, he just got unlucky to be possessed by the evil HCM and became the FMM. He was unaware of it at first but later just succumbed to his fear for his life; I mean, who wouldn't?

At first I do have a tiny issue with HS arc; Yes, I predicted it too but that wasn't the case; I find it to be a bit unjust since HS is fairly a good person. He didn't deserved it, and I guess Karma play its role here. I hate it though; The idea that the son has to carry the burden for his father's sin. BUT then thankfully HS is different, due to his strong bond with SH. It proves to me that evil will not always win. And that annoying Police Chief is a lost cause. He is so wickedly vile and despicable. So when he ended up being possesed, I somehow like this unison (haha, guilt-free as charged).

OKHWA HOUSE/ 2ND COUPLE
Although it may seems insignificant to rest, I thought that the story of Granny Ok's sacrifice, her grand-daughter and her love story can't be overlook. At first, their story wasn't that interesting, served as a plot filler, but as it unfold and explored further, it really made me care. The arc although it was predicted left me a sense of gratitude. Ye-ji in particular really shines through in the end. Yes, she is somewhat a pain at the beginning, but I truly adore her now. Her uncontrollable outcry in the end really wins me over.

FINAL BATTLE/ FINALE :
OMG! What the hell did I just watch there? The long awaited battle; The miracle; How the past and the present are actually connected in ways that I could never imagine. They came in full circle beyond my wildest expectation. At first it is a bit weird and out of place but as it unfold, it totally made sense. Literally I was crying and screaming in uber-satisfaction of how epic it was. The realisation of what was tanspired before hits me like a bullet. Why she was risking it all to save him? Why she said those things? It totally changes my views about that particular scene coz it amplify my feelings like 1000 times. God! That is soooooo freaking GOOD. I don't want to spoil much further coz it just.... No enough words to described how well it was written. I'm just blown away. The amount of emotions I felt are just unbelievable. My brain was having a hard time processing each events that transpire one after another. BEST experience ever. Thank you writer-nim, I totally get you.

SACRED MIRROR MIRACLES
Whoever got confused with how SM miracle works, this is how I perceived it, I may be wrong >__<
1. Princess Chun Hwa's Prayer
- Princess CH offer her life to the heavens to clear PB's name and for her to love again in another lifetime. So both SH and CW are being protected by the sacred mirror power, granted that they have love for one another.
2. When SH and CW enclosed in a force field
- The sacred mirror power was activated by the act of SH protecting CW (her love). It mirrored PB's ability and memory onto CW. Hence the blue eyes and the ability to seal the spirit and his past lives memory. It also mirrored CW's see-ghost-ability onto SH. That's why SH can see ghost after the incident.
3. When CW impaled himself over Adviser Choi
- The sacred mirror power again was activated by the act of CW sacrificing himself (his love). It mirrored to brought CW to encounter with you know who, and it also act as a deflection for whatever spiritual/ internal injury that CW sustained and saved him from dying.

Since both SH and CW have used up the sacred mirror power, the ability that they have subsided naturally. Similar to Cha-family-inherited-shaman's ability, as mentioned by Adviser Choi previously. Hope this help.

As always; Will I watch it all again? Hell yeah!!! without FF hehe

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